Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney sends warning to Liverpool

Rooney is ready to break his league duck upon the resumption of the season against Liverpool.Getty Images

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has warned Liverpool he is ready to take his international form into the resumption of the domestic season. The England captain surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton to become the country's highest ever goalscorer with a penalty against Switzerland but is yet to net for his club in the league this season.

Rooney became the first England player to score 50 international goals with an 84th minute spot kick at Wembley, becoming the nation's premier marksman, and has scored nine in his last 10 outings for his country. That form is in stark contrast to his showings for United, for whom he has scored just one league goal for since March.

United resume their campaign against arch rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford with both sides having identical league records, with two wins, a draw and a defeat from their opening four games. Louis van Gaal's side were defeated by Swansea City prior to the international break and Rooney wants to help turn his side's form around.

"To achieve what I have, I would be lying if I said it didn't put a spring in my step and make you want to carry on scoring," said Rooney, according to Sky Sports. "I am very happy and grateful, but I go back to Manchester [United], get back into training and start focusing on Liverpool.

"Hopefully getting two goals in the last two games will mean I continue scoring. There's no better game to go into than Liverpool at home after losing our last game [at Swansea]. It is a game we have to win and it's something I'm looking forward to."

Tributes have flooded in for Rooney since the United skipper broke the all-time England scoring record against the Swiss, with four-time Fifa world footballer of the year Lionel Messi heaping praise on the forward. The Barcelona star believes Rooney is a "winner" despite his record haul having not been accompanied by any international silverware.

"There are many special players, but Rooney has exceptional quality and technical ability as well as being one of the strongest players I have faced with an exceptional work rate," he said according to ESPN. "There is nobody like him.

"Rooney is a winner. He will just be focused on success with England in the European Championship. I have always said the same is true of myself and Argentina -- breaking caps and goals records mean nothing unless they come with trophies."